Feeling Sorry for Yourself?
by Kid Leviathan
Summary: A collection of oneshots or shorts about various characters. Some will be happy, some will be sad. Ideas are being accepted (review or PM them to me). I own only my ideas and my OCs. Levvi out.
1. My Birthday- Killer

Turning 19 was supposed to be something special.

There were supposed to be lots of people and lots of presents. It should be fun, right?

Birthdays were supposed to be special, weren't they?

Then why was mine not?

It was the day of my 19th birthday. It was a big thing on my island as well as a lot of the islands we had passed. Some of the crew had been joking about how I hadn't reached the mark yet. Others simply looked down on me because I was one of the youngest people in the crew. Worst of all (to them), I was a girl. It meant I was the weakest on the ship.

But now that it was my birthday, no one was around. We were docked at an island and everyone left immediately. The Captain only paused long enough to bark an order at me to stay on the ship and guard it.

"Is this their idea of a birthday?" I muttered to myself. "Give me some alone time? It's not much of a present."

I was currently up in the crow's nest, just looking around at the city that was just out of my reach. I almost sighed, but I knew it would be pointless to want something because I clearly wasn't going to get it.

"Moping about the day?"

I swore I almost jumped out of my skin at the voice. I spun around to look at the first mate who was staring me down. "Oh. It's just you, Killer. What are you doing up here?"

"You didn't honestly think you were the only one on the ship, did you? Kid doesn't leave one person behind. There are enough people on our crew to have multiple guards."

"Oh. I see." What else was I supposed to say to that? I wasn't going to get all excited that he was here too. Sure, Killer had sort of put out the idea that he was interested in me, but we never really did anything about it. He was always kind of cool and collected which I found so strange on the Kid Pirates' ship. I suppose neither of us was that stereotypical of a pirate when it came to the Kid Pirates. Of course we joined in the battles and helped massacre the people who pissed Kid off, but we weren't as rambunctious as the rest.

Killer wrapped a hand around my upper arm and pulled me to my feet. "Time to switch off with the next watch." And that was all he offered me of an explanation. We climbed down to the deck and then he grabbed my arm again as the next guy climbed up.

It felt like I was just being dragged around the ship until he decided to drop me off in my room. He walked away without making a sound, like he always did. The door shut behind him and I sighed. This had to be the most boring day of my life. I laid on my bed and watched the sunlight filtering through the window slowly fade. It grew darker and darker until no light could be seen anymore. I only heard a couple people walk into the ship, so I figured the rest were still out drinking or getting laid. I closed my eyes and decided I should just sleep the rest of my birthday away. It wasn't like it mattered to anyone else anyways.

I jerked upwards when I felt someone enter my room. I couldn't hear anything, but I swore someone was there. I was about to get up when I felt a hand press into my shoulder. If it was one of the drunken pirates who decided to try their luck on me when I was sleeping, they would quickly find themselves in a grave.

"You-"

Someone shushed me, interrupting my words. I grew confused when I didn't smell any alcohol and I recognized the voice.

"Killer, what are you-"

He shushed me again. "Don't speak."

I felt his weight settle on my bed. I wanted to speak up once more to get an answer out of him, but at the same time I wanted to wait for him to begin speaking. He always seemed to ponder over his words before he finally said what was on his mind. Only this time, I wasn't going to get words.

The hand that had been against my shoulder moved up so it was holding the back of my neck. The silence was deafening as I waited for what he was going to do. I felt his breath ghost over my lips and I breathed in sharply. He shushed me once more before placing his lips against mine. I didn't know what to do at first. He wasn't drunk and he was completely awake, so did this mean he was finally doing something about his interest in me? I slowly and carefully raised my arms and slid them around his neck. I must have done something right because I felt him nip lightly at my bottom lip. I did another intake of breath and he used that moment to slip his tongue into my mouth.

A small whine left my mouth as he pulled away and I quickly covered it. I heard a small chuckle come from him as he put his mouth next to my ear. "Is that what you wanted? Was it not enough for you?"

I was grateful for the darkness or else he would have seen the blood rush to my face. I was embarrassed not only by the sound I made, but by the fact that he seemed to like it so much. Even though I felt that way, I still felt like I needed to give an answer. "Y-yes," I stuttered out quietly.

A tongue touched my ear lobe and another sound almost escaped from me. "Yes to which answer, Abby?" I was trying so hard to not make any sounds that I couldn't answer him. I felt a hand slide down to the edge of my shirt and slide up my side underneath it. I quickly buried my head into his shoulder as another whine escaped. He chuckled once more and I felt it reverberate through my own body. "You're supposed to answer when someone asks you a question."

"Y-yes t-to both…"

I could practically feel his grin. "Good. I was beginning to think I'd have to do something to get an answer out of you."

Cold and heat rushed through me. His words sounded both dangerous and seductive. "W-what would you have done?"

He moved so my head was no longer hidden against him. "How about I show you?" he whispered to me.

* * *

When I woke, the first thing I noticed was the bright light that filtered through my window. My mind was fuzzy and slow when I first woke up, so I was a little confused. I didn't remember putting a blanket on before falling asleep. In fact, I didn't remember falling asleep. I slowly propped myself up on my arm and looked towards the door. I felt like someone was here, but the door was closed. I fell back down onto the bed and rolled over.

And fell with a thump to the ground.

There were two reasons for this. The first was I didn't realize I was sleeping on the edge of my bed since I normally sleep quite close to the wall. The second thing was that there was someone else in my bed. He looked over the edge and smirked down at me as I gaped like a fish out of water.

He chuckled. "Forget about me already?"

I struggled with my words, "Wha- Y-you- That really happened?" I gripped the blanket closer to my body when I finally noticed I wasn't currently wearing clothes.

Killer reached an arm down and pulled me back up onto the bed. "Did you think it was just a dream? How quickly you dismiss us." He brought his face closer to mine.

My cheeks immediately started heating up. "N-no, t-that's not it. I just th-thought it was a dream."

He laid back down on the bed and I turned to look at him. His hair was as messy as always, going in almost any direction, but it was pushed away so I could see his eyes. The deep green depths seemed to be devious and yet filled with laughter. They had me smiling back at him.

Yesterday had been a terrible day; there was no doubt about that. But right now made up for it. I may have wished that I could do it over so that there was even just a small chance of it getting better. But, at the same time, I wouldn't want to change it. If I did, then maybe Killer would not have come here. I couldn't feel sorry for myself when he was sitting there and smiling at me like that.

* * *

**Here's the first little oneshot I made. Let me know if you have any ideas for a mini that could fit within this collection (whether it is a complete idea, a partial idea, or just a character you want to see).**

**-Levvi**


	2. There's No Point- Usopp

"Look out!"

Beth jumped out of the way of an attacking sword. The tip of the weapon bit into her shoulder and she had to bite her cheek to keep from crying out in pain. There was a small sound of something being fired before one of Usopp's fire stars consumed her enemy. She glanced over at him as he ran over. She gave him a quick smile. "Thanks."

Usopp nodded, focusing his gaze on the enemies still standing around them. "You have to pay more attention, Beth. What if I couldn't come save you?"

"I know, I know. It's hard to pay attention to every side though when I need to aim." She pulled her slingshot back and fired at the pirate trying to rush her.

Usopp copied her motion, taking down a different pirate. "Just try. I don't want you to get hurt." At that, he rushed off to another place to attack.

She took his words to heart and paid more attention than she normally did. Just as the pirate numbers were dwindling, there was a loud yell from the edge of the clearing. "It's the Chain Link Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates!"

Marines began to rush into the battle. Beth could hear her crew yell overtop of them. "Guys! It's time to go!" Luffy yelled.

Beth grinned at her captain's order and turned to run. Something tripped her and everything seemed to slow down. Her forearms slapped the ground, protecting her face from hitting, but something was wrong. She slowly looked off to the side where her other hand should've been. A bloody stump was her wrist now and her hand was lying a foot away, still clasped around her slingshot. It all felt so wrong to her. This couldn't be happening. It hit her all at once and she started screaming.

There was the sound of a rubber band shooting off as Luffy shot towards her. One moment later, she was in the doctor's arms and her attacker was lying in the dirt. Her captain had clenched his fists and was glaring down at the Marine. "Never hurt my friends," he said coldly and evenly.

Chopper ran from the fighting, doing his best to avoid the surviving Marines and pirates. He paused behind a tree to pull bandages out of his backpack. He looked worried about something. Pain was running rampant through Beth's brain as she stared at a white-covered ball on the ground. She couldn't comprehend why Chopper would be carrying it around. A cry tore through her chest as he started bandaging the wound. It was seeping through the fabric too fast.

"We need to get back to the ship," he muttered. He looked stressed.

He picked Beth's weak body off the ground and ran again. She could hear others running around her, but she couldn't see them. Chopper's large furry body blocked her sight and she was growing faint from blood loss. Everyone suddenly stopped running.

"Three Sword Style-"

"Diablo-"

Beth passed out.

* * *

Faint voices reached her ears. She just wanted them to be quiet. She wanted to go back to sleep.

"…might not be possible…"

"…can't give up! She…"

"…sorry I can't be…"

They were being annoying. Why wouldn't they let her sleep? The voices began to fade and she felt relief for the quiet as she drifted back into the dark.

* * *

Beth stared at Chopper's sad face as he stood on a stool next to her bed. No. He had to be lying to her. He couldn't be serious!

"Bethany, I'm sorry-" he started.

"No! Don't do this to me, Chopper! I-It can't be true! Don't lie to me!" She was getting hysterical.

His eyes stared tearing up. "I'm not lying. I wish I was, Beth…"

She knew she was hurting his feelings; she could see it in his eyes. She just couldn't deal with the pain he was causing to her heart right now. She swung her feet off the bed and ran out the door. She could hear him calling after her, but she couldn't be around him. Not right now.

She burst through the door onto the deck and stopped. It felt like her heart was stuck in her throat. The rest of the crew was standing on the deck and staring at her. She was frozen in place until Usopp turned and took a step towards her. She took a step backwards. "No," she whispered. They couldn't see her. Not like this.

"Beth!" she heard Chopper call her again.

She turned to run again, but Usopp grabbed her arm; even worse, he grabbed her arm that she wished would just disappear. "Wait, Beth. You-"

She shoved him away. "Let go!" She stared up at him in shock. Not once since joining this ship had she yelled at him. Usopp was the closest friend she had. He took a step away from her, his face falling.

Everyone was silent on the ship now. They had seen how she hurt him and now it would haunt her just as her hand would. Before Chopper could place a hand on her leg, she dashed back down the stairs to the infirmary. She never wanted to speak to another person again.

* * *

Zoro and Usopp watched her walk away from them, just as she had been doing for the past few weeks. Usopp sighed and rubbed his face while Zoro watched her with a small frown. "When is she going to snap out of this?" Zoro growled, hiding his worry for his nakama.

Usopp didn't reply. He had a feeling she wouldn't.

Beth walked to the far side of the deck and placed her hand on the railing. How long had it been since she smiled? A week? Two weeks? A month? She couldn't remember anymore. It wasn't like it mattered to her anyways. She was healed by now, but the weight of what happened continued to weigh her down.

A head stretched down into her vision and she stared back. Luffy was hanging down from the sail, which he would undoubtedly get yelled at from Nami for doing. His face was unusually straight as he stared at her. "Hey, Beth. Why don't you play with us anymore?"

She looked away from him. "I can't play games, Luffy."

He frowned. "Of course you can. Come play tag with me and Chopper. We can get Usopp to join, too."

Beth looked directly into his eyes and glared at him. "I can't play silly games with you anymore, Luffy! I lost my hand! I can't even shoot my slingshot! I'm nothing to this crew now! Just leave me on an island somewhere. I don't care anymore." Her voice grew quieter until she whispered the last sentence. She turned and ran back into the ship, searching for her room.

Luffy watched her go with a frown. "But I don't want to lose my nakama."

"Luffy!" Nami stomped up to him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Get down off of there before you ruin our sail!" She grabbed him around the neck and tugged, making him fall face first onto the deck.

There was a collective sigh from the crew watching him slowly get up, a red mark covering his face. Beneath deck, the lone member in the girls' bedroom was crying softly to herself. One hand was held to her eyes while the stump of what used to be her right hand was against her stomach. The weapon had barely missed her wrist, leaving her a small range of movements, though it did her little good without the hand that should have been attached to it.

Another sob tore through her chest as she tried to calm down. "What's the point?" she whispered into the empty air. "What's the point of trying in life when I know I'll never be able to succeed again? I just want to give in…"

* * *

**This has a completely differently ending than the previous one. This is technically Usopp-centered. I have a feeling that people won't be content with that, so I am working on a part 2 for this. Let me know what you think and tell me any ideas you may have.**

**-Levvi**


	3. There's No Point- part 2

Usopp knocked on a partially open door. "Beth…?" He pushed it open and carefully stepped inside.

The one-handed girl was sitting silently on her bed, staring outside at the stars. She didn't register Usopp's voice so he just had to hope she hadn't receded further. He sat down on her right, making sure to stay away from the side that made her change drastically. He sidled a little closer.

"Beth," he paused. "Uh, Sanji made supper. You should come up and eat something. I bet it would make him happy. It would make all of us happy." He twitched his fingers together nervously.

There was still no reply from her. He stood with an air of defeat and made his way out of the room when he heard a small whisper.

"I just want to be like you again. I just want my hand and my slingshot back."

Usopp walked away with pain in his chest. He had tried to teach her to use her right hand with a crossbow that only needed one hand, but it was pointless. Her aim was worse than Luffy's. He ruffled his hair in frustration. He was an inventor! How could he not have made something for her by now? He paused and an idea formed. He raced off to his work table without another thought for food.

* * *

Luffy frowned with a pout. "Why does everyone stop playing with me?" he whined.

Chopper swung his feet off the chair. "Usopp was up all night. I don't think he slept at all and he wasn't at supper."

"I could hear him and his stupid tinkering all night. It kept me up," Zoro growled.

Sanji kicked him. "You sleep all day, Marimo bastard!"

Nami smacked both of them before they could start fighting. "Enough! Zoro, go find Usopp. Sanji, how about you get me something to drink?"

Sanji immediately did what he was told though Zoro scowled as he stalked off. It was quite on the Straw Hat deck for a few more moments. There was a loud crash and a series of thudding footsteps before the group saw Usopp run past as if a monster was chasing him. With a sack clutched in his hand, he dashed around a corner and almost crashed. He scrambled to get his footing and continued down the corridor.

"BETHANY!"

She jerked back as he crashed through the doorway. He was panting heavily, but there was glee hidden within his eyes.

"Quickly, give me your arm."

She held her left arm to her chest.

"Please, trust me with this." His plea had her slowly loosening her arm. He carefully took it with his own hands. "I need you to close your eyes. I have a very special present for you, but you have to wait just a little longer before I can show you." His heavy breathing made speaking in lengths difficult, but he forced himself to go through with it.

She closed her eyes, fear streaking through her until she pushed it down. She still trusted him, even though she had hurt him more than once in the past two long months. Something cold touched her skin a few inches above the stump. She almost pulled her arm away, but she waited. The cold expanded, surrounding her wrist. There were a few mutterings from Usopp before she heard him say, "Open your eyes."

Her eyes opened and she gasped. "B-but- Th-there's-" Words refused to form. A metal contraption covered her stump and bent further forward. In it was something even more spectacular. A slingshot was tightly gripped by the metal, one piece notching in to keep it from falling. "Ussopp," she whispered, her eyes tearing up. She threw her arms around him. "Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you!"

Her lips were stretched in a smile as she finally let him go. Usopp was smiling, almost in relief. "I just wanted to help you. Please, don't be sad anymore. We miss you. _I_ miss you." His cheeks reddened. "Uh, well, I mean," he coughed. "I, uh, missed my shooting partner. Yeah, that's it!"

Bethany giggled for the first time in a long time. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much. I promise to never be that sad again."

* * *

**Here's part 2. Honestly, I think part 1 was a better ending.**

**I already have another chapter done for this. Let me know if any of you have ideas for who I should write about next.**

**-Levvi**


	4. Forever Lost- Luffy

A guitar was strummed.

Music began to fill the air.

Her eyes were closed as she moved her fingers over the strings. She was frowning, though was it in concentration or frustration?

She pressed herself further into the music. No one stood on the deck with her; there were no waves moving the ship.

The ghost of a voice joined her strumming.

"_Let's go home tonight,"_ it sang.

"_It's been so long since I've seen your face."_

"_Show me what went wrong tonight. Was it something that I did?"_

One, single tear rolled down her cheek.

She strummed the guitar harder as she was pulled through the music and the memories that followed.

"_Let's go home tonight."_

"_I heard you're making supper for me."_

"_When did I become so lucky? How did I find you?"_

Her music changed, becoming harsher and faster. The voice disappeared from her ears into the wind.

A small tap sounded behind her, but she drowned herself in the music. The moon lit up the surface around her, acting as her stage light. How long had it been since she stood on a stage?

Her face became angry and upset. The music was engulfed in the sudden silence as she raised her guitar above her head.

An arm was suddenly gripping hers and bringing the instrument safely back down. She began to cry, letting the guitar be set to the side for her.

Arms encircled her and she cried into them. "She's never coming back. Why can't I ever see my sister again?"

The arms slowly rubbed her back. "Sometimes we don't have a choice." Luffy's eyes were hard as he looked into the distance. "Promise me something, Chia."

She pulled away slightly so she could look up at him, her sobs quieted for a moment. "What?"

"Don't break any of your instruments. Your sister wouldn't want you to break them. If you don't play them, then how will she ever be able to listen to your music again?" he smiled.

Chia began crying again. She gripped Luffy tightly as she hugged him.

A couple of their crewmembers watched from the shadow of the doorway. Sanji lit a cigarette and took a deep breath. Usopp watched them quietly, a small look of sadness crossing his face.

Sometimes it takes a person who's hurt to help someone who's just been hurt. Chia would never be able to see her sister again, and Luffy will never be able to see his brother.

* * *

**Here's the next one to join the group. I am currently working on one and I am also searching for ideas for a Marco-centered shot. Feel free to send ideas for plots or characters.**

**-Levvi**


	5. Death Consumes Us All- Law

I was angry. I was sad. But most of all, I hated everything around me. It was as if the world was revolving in a certain way just to go against me.

You see, I had been consumed by my sadness for the first few days after my cat had passed away, and then the anger began to grow. Yeah, sure, you probably think that's a stupid reason to be upset. You don't know my life. He was my everything. He was in my life as long as I could remember. And now, he was gone. My life was destroyed because life moved on without me. And so this is where you will find me: in my apartment, by myself, hidden from the world.

My friends were there for me at first; if anyone was a good friend, they would show that they cared. But the longer it went on, the less they cared. It's now been two weeks since that day has passed, and I still find myself looking around the room or listening for a quiet meow. According to the rest of the world, I should only be sad for a day, three days at most. After that, you're supposed to go on like everything is fine. But it isn't. And it never will be now that my friends have left me. I can hear their whispers, see their stares. They have become part of the society that doesn't care.

Every day was difficult. I continued my work at a bakery, but only because I knew I couldn't remove myself from the world. Completely shutting down wasn't an option. I hid myself in the back and did as much baking as possible to avoid any sort of contact with the outside world. Even my boss left me alone instead of trying to talk. I locked myself in my apartment for every other moment of the day when I wasn't at work. No friends, no neighbors, no person to bother me.

For the first time in a long time, a knock echoed through my apartment. I continued to sit on my couch for a few more seconds until the knock came again. I slowly got up and made my way over to the door. I paused for a moment. "Danni, I know you're in there," the voice said.

Of all the people it could have been, it had to be _him_. I pulled the door open, a frown settling on my face. "What do you want?"

He was bundled up in a black jacket while a yellow scarf covered his mouth and nose from the harsh cold outside. I shivered lightly when the wind found its way inside. "Can I come in? It's too cold out here to talk." His voice sounded quieter and flatter than it was when he normally talked to me.

I moved to the side and he walked in. He shed his jacket and scarf after I closed the door. His hat, too, was left behind. I vaguely remembered getting upset with him for wearing it inside once. He went into my living room and sat down on the couch, right next to where I had been sitting. I followed him partway, although I didn't sit down. He's done nothing but tease and annoy me since all of us, him and our friends, started hanging out together. "If I wanted a pest, I would've called," I snapped lightly.

"I know." It didn't look like my words fazed him at all. "I just came to see you. You haven't been around for a while."

I looked away from him. "No shit. I didn't want to come around."

I heard a small sigh. He sounded… almost tired. What was bothering him that much? I've only seen him act like this once before. It was back when his mother went into the hospital and no one was sure if she would come back out. It made my chest hurt a little bit. "Law, did something happen?"

He must have heard my fear. He got up quickly and shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Danni, I wanted to make sure you were all right. I know- I heard what happened with Sora." Just hearing his name was enough to break my heart. I turned away from Law and tried to bear down on my emotions before anything could escape. He walked around me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Do you remember back when my mother was sick?" His voice sounded a little hoarse. I nodded. "You came up to my own apartment to check on me. You asked if I needed a hug. Now I'm going to ask the same of you: do you need one?"

I nodded, tears building up in my eyes, and put my arms around him. I could feel his arms doing the same and I cried. I'd been trying for so long to hold everything in and bury it all, but I couldn't. After a little while, he led me back to the couch and I finally sat down. My breathing was still shaky, but I had calmed down slightly.

He leaned back and pulled me so I was leaning against him. For once, I was grateful it was him who was still with me. He kept an arm around me, making me feel less blocked off from the world. "Would it be stupid of me to ask how you've been holding up?"

After so many days of nothing but sadness and anger, mirth began to bubble up my throat. It sounded much funnier in my current state than it normally would have. "I'm still here," I answered, my statement punctuated by a sniffle. "Why did you come here? No one else wanted to talk with me anymore."

There was a small pause. "The group isn't the same now." He was so quiet. "You were the one bringing us together and no one really wants to hang out when there's a cloud that hangs over us. And truthfully," he added, "I've missed you."

I shook my head. "You missed having someone to prod," I muttered.

"At least it got your attention." What did he mean by that? "You would have ignored me otherwise. And it kept the rest from monopolizing you." His laugh sounded weak and empty. "Would you have allowed me to be with you otherwise?"

How did I go from being sad and comforted to be confessed to? I turned and placed my head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't notice," I muttered. Silence filled the room, nothing impeding on the comfort. "In two days, he'll have been gone three weeks." It was sad, but it didn't hurt quite as much as it the first few days.

"It was a year yesterday that she's been gone." One year? It felt like a block hit me in the chest. His mother died just over a year ago.

I did my best to give him a hug while we sat. "I can't believe it's been that long since she left. Is that why you're tired?"

He gave me a nod. "Yeah." He didn't add anything else. "Thank you."

That came out of nowhere. "For what?" I was started to get tired from all of these emotions.

"You were the only one who came that day. You were the last person to come see her before she… left. She always told me you were too kind for this world. She loved you all the more for it." He took a deep, careful breath. "So, thank you."

I closed my eyes. "Promise me something. Promise you won't try to make me mad like you used to. I don't want to risk losing the only person who cares." _I don't want to lose the only one who hears me._

"I won't."

* * *

**Here's another addition for my series. Send some ideas for more chapters and characters. Have you figured out the pattern yet?**

**I'll see again, my little monsters.**

**-Levvi**


	6. Nice Boy and Nice Girl- Marco

They've always said that the nice boy never gets the girl. But what about the girl who wants the nice boy? He always seems to be looking the other direction, towards that girl who complains about being unable to find a nice boy. The same could be said on Whitebeard's ship.

A girl—no, a woman stood near the front of the ship. Her eyes were focused on the first division's commander: Marco Phoenix. He was talking with one of Pop's nurses, joking and flirting with her. It brought a sour taste to the woman's mouth. She turned away to stare out on the ocean. Her arms leaned on the railing as she fought to clear her mind. She was a skilled swordswoman; she needed to have control over her emotions at all times. The sound of approaching footsteps had her tensing.

"Hey, Erika," Thatch called out happily. When she didn't answer, he stopped next to her in confusion. "Erika? Hello-o?" He waved his hand in front of her face. She smacked it away with a frown. He grinned again. "I thought you were frozen or something. Why don't you come join us? You always sit in the corner."

"I don't want to play your games, Thatch." She tried brushing him off.

He threw his arm around her shoulders and said dramatically, "Don't you care about your sweet brothers? You need to share your attention with all of us, not just the sea!"

She twisted out of his grip and shoved him to the floor. She landed on his stomach and they started fighting, though more playfully than anyone would have expected.

"Thatch, Erika, stop fooling around." Marco had walked up to them, a small frown on his face. His arms were crossed as if the two on the ground had done something wrong. Erika did as she was told, brushing her black jeans off as Thatch got up.

"Why'd you stop us?" he whined slightly, a smile working its way into his voice. "Erika was finally paying attention to the rest of us."

Erika huffed. Marco gave her a small glance before looking back at Thatch. "You get carried away when you do things. You'd probably end up making her destroy half the deck."

Erika's cheeks burned. As ridiculous as it sounded to others, the three knew it had happened once before. Thatch had attempted to get her to come "play" but only succeeded in making her mad. The ones who had watched it happen were entertained until Marco had put them all to work fixing the damage. Erika crossed her arms and faced away from both of them.

Marco refrained from sighing. "If you want her to pay attention, then come up with an actual game instead of fighting her."

Thatch pouted like a child before grinning. "Tag!"

The deck was suddenly in a rush, pirates running about and tackling each other before running away again. Each time one of the men got close to Erika, she twisted and dodged out of the way. The game eventually turned into "Chase Erika" and at least fifteen men were trying to catch her now. She used all of the tricks she learned while fighting to get away from them all. At one point, she ran straight past Marco, laughing with the feeling of freedom.

"Oi! Marco! Why didn't you grab her?" Thatch complained between breaths.

As Marco opened his mouth, Erika looked behind her. "He's too slow to catch me."

He heard the challenge in her voice. He smirked and his arms turned to wings. "Want a bet?"

She squealed as he dove at her. She changed directions at the last moment and he missed. "That's not fair!" she shouted up at him.

He paused in the air for a moment. "Then you'd better move faster."

His own smirk brought one to Erika's face. She took off once again with Marco in close pursuit. She skid around the corner, Marco following her every move. Erika grabbed a mast and swung around to change directions quickly. Marco rose up into the air, spinning, and dove back down towards her.

Just as she thought she had escaped him, she turned around to look. His form appeared in her vision. Her eyes widened, but before she could move away, he transformed his arms back to a human and grabbed her. They fell to the deck, Marco on top and Erika beneath him. He smirked as he moved his hands up to hold her wrists. "Now you can't escape me," he chuckled lightly.

Erika looked up at him. Her cheeks warmed at his proximity. And his hold on her arms felt… possessive.

"Marco! I can't believe you caught her!" Thatch ran up to them, a huge grin on his face.

Marco's grip on her loosened and she pulled out from under him. He gave her a glance. "Were you doubting me?" he accused.

Erika walked away from them. Her hands were shaking slightly. She hated herself for thinking, for _even considering_, that something was happening. She ran as soon as the shadow of the hallway hid her from the deck. Tears were beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes. All she wanted to do was find her room and never leave again.

* * *

**For yonakaneko.**

**This one didn't end as happy, but I enjoyed writing it. Let me know if you have any requests.**

**-Levvi**


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